It’s a no, for now

Money can only go so far … The numbers keep changing … And we'd Scoop him up.

Not every Pima County department's budget wish list made it into the County's proposed $1.76 billion budget for next year.

We wrote yesterday that the county administration is asking the Pima County Board of Supervisors to sign off on increasing property taxes rather than slashing departmental budgets.

So to make ends meet, county officials are considering a plan that delays some projects and says "no" to what the county calls supplemental budget requests.

Our art intern, ChatGPT, nails the vibe of county budget season, but it still can’t spell “administrator.”

These supplemental requests usually increase in the base budget and vary from additional funds to cover the cost of inflation to asking for another position to meet increased workloads.

Back in January, departments sent County Administrator Jan Lesher $70.1 million in additional funding requests, and Lesher found the money for most of them — although only $17.3 million came from the already strained general fund.

The rest came from a variety of other sources, but it would be a very deep rabbit hole to go down to explain how they found the funding.

Did we mention the budget document is 515 pages long?

Now, the County seems to be delaying some construction and maintenance to cope with what continues to be an unpredictable year for those attempting to forecast local economic conditions.

The proposed budget for capital projects in the next fiscal cycle has decreased by $13.5 million.

Projects still listed in the $42.1 million budget proposal include:

• $18.3 million for Superior Court improvements

• $7.6 million for construction projects at the old Bank of America building, located at 33 N. Stone

• $1.7 million to (finally!) complete the Administration Building renovations at 130 W. Congress

And while the Pima County Sheriff’s Department did receive an overall increase in its budget for the next fiscal cycle, Lesher did not include funding for 10 additional deputies that Sheriff Chris Nanos had asked for in his supplemental budget request.

Lesher did extend funding for deputies who had been funded by grants until the funding ran out.

Supervisors are also being asked to sign off on drawing down on the amount Pima County keeps in its reserve fund, lowering it from 17% to 15% of the previous year’s audited operating budget.

The recommendation frees up several million for the county to spend on operations, while still keeping $92 million in the bank for emergencies.

Supervisors are expected to discuss the budget next Tuesday. Don’t be surprised if you find some department heads or even elected officials still pleading for additional funding.

While the supervisors are expected to set the budget next week, they still can shift money from one bucket to another.

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To shift a little money into the Agenda’s bucket, all you have to do is click that button!

We’ve spent the better part of this week giving you a broad overview of how the City of Tucson and Pima County are adapting to the current economic climate.

And we did it before your elected leaders make final decisions on the issues that matter to you.

But one thing is certain — the numbers will change in the days and weeks ahead.

The state Legislature and Gov. Katie Hobbs can’t get on the same page about next year’s budget, which affects how much state-shared revenue will trickle down to local governments.

And President Donald Trump's budget-slashing executive orders are being challenged in court so routinely now that judges could eventually free up millions in federal funding earmarked for southern Arizona.

Even local proposals — like Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz’s proposal to gradually increase property taxes to incentivize affordable housing development — aren’t included in the proposed county budget. At least not yet.

So keep reading, and we’ll update the numbers in future editions of the Agenda.

Mark your calendars: Debates are headed your way on June 9 and 10 as candidates for the open seat in Congressional District 7 vie for your vote, the Tucson Sentinel’s Jim Nintzel reports. All five Democrats running for the nomination will debate on June 10, and the three Republican candidates will debate on June 9. Arizona Public Media will broadcast the debates, which will also stream on the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections’ YouTube page.

From back in the day: New Pope Leo XIV sent a shoutout to Tucson this week via his longtime friend, Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas. KVOA’s Eric Fink chatted with Kicanas, who has known the new pope for more than 30 years.

"He’s a man who has deep concern for the littlest and weakest among us," Kicanas said. "I think he’s going to be a wonderful Holy Father for the whole world."

Just what the world needs: Midtown Tucson is getting another Trader Joe’s, the Arizona Daily Star’s Gabriela Rico reports. Plans have been in the works since 2023, when a then-unnamed “national grocer” approached Rio Nuevo about incentives to revitalize a corner of Broadway and Plumer that was most recently a Dollar Store. Meanwhile, California-based investors have bought the 13,671-square-foot warehouse in South Tucson that is the production facility for Tucson Tamale Company, per Rico. The new owners will honor the 15-year lease Tucson Tamale Company had with the previous owner.

Undeterred by harassment: Olivia Krupp, who graduated from the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism with the proud distinction of being “Outstanding Senior,” is a profile in journalistic courage, Arizona Daily Star columnist Tim Steller writes. Krupp’s reporting made it into the Washington Post in 2022 after she was harassed for writing a column in the Arizona Daily Wildcat that was critical of a former frat president, self-proclaimed “alpha male” and influencer in the “manosphere.” Krupp graduates this week, and she’s sticking with journalism despite the months of harassment she endured.

“I feel very fortunate to not see myself doing anything else for the rest of my life. But I also, on the other side of that coin, feel unfortunate to not be able to see myself do anything else for the rest of my life,” she said with the wisdom of a jaded, ink-stained wretch.

Student power: A climate action plan designed by Tucson Unified School District students is all set for its next step, the Arizona Luminaria’s Shannon Conner reports. The TUSD Governing Board approved spending $250,000 this week to hire a consultant to lay out the long-term strategy.

We offer consultations on a long-term news strategy for Southern Arizona for just $10 per month.

Taxing cold air: An Arizona couple that bought a small air conditioner in Mexico last week had an exasperating run-in with U.S. customs officials attempting to enforce the new tariffs on goods made in China (which have since been reduced), per the Ajo Copper News. The incident at the border crossing got heated when the couple declared the mini-split, and customs wanted $643 in tariff fees on the $575 AC unit, insisting the unit originally came from China, even though the sealed box had “Made in Mexico” printed on it. Meanwhile, most parts for air conditioners come from other countries, and could get much more expensive thanks to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. And the tariff drama could mean delays on ordering those parts, Phoenix HVAC company owner Paul Howard tells the Scottsdale Independent.

“When it’s 115 degrees people can’t wait for five weeks without air conditioning,” Howard said.

Okay, we’re trading our signature snark for something that bleeds into the awwww category.

Meet Scoop.

This three-year-old doggo was featured in Councilman Kevin Dahl’s newsletter a few days ago. And we couldn’t resist (look at those cute, mismatched eyes!).

Scoop is free to adopt. He is neutered, up-to-date on vaccines and microchipped.

Stop by the Pima Animal Care Center today to give him a new home.